Your morning cup of joe just keeps getting better and better
When you need to hydrate for your workout, forget about sports drinks or a plain bottle of water. According to new research, your morning coffee could be your best bet to get the most of out your physical activity.
We’ve heard about coffee’s health benefits, like fighting cancer and helping you live longer, but a recent study from the University of Georgia shows coffee can improve your endurance, too.
The study, which reviewed more than 600 scholarly articles to find a link between caffeine—specifically from coffee—and workout performance, found fitness after coffee was more efficient than other forms of hydration. In fact, participants who consumed pre-exercise coffee had a workout that was more than 24 percent improved compared to those who did not drink the morning favorite.
“While there is a lack of high-quality research on coffee as a source of caffeine, there is an abundance of research on pure caffeine,” said lead study author Simon Higgins. “There’s a perception that coffee won’t give you the same benefits as pure caffeine. New research could mean that athletes could have a cup of coffee versus taking a pill.”
Experts say we haven’t fully taken advantage of the caffeine and endurance connection. What we do know is that caffeine increases the calcium content of muscle, which enhances the strength of the muscle contraction. During activities that require endurance, caffeine helps our bodies use fat as fuel so we don’t burn through our carbohydrate stores as quickly.
